Palmageddon Aftermath Photo Thread

[NBTX11]

3 minutes ago, amh said:

Give them some fertilizer and time. Next week should be warmer and once the sunny conditions return, hopefully they will show signs of life.

I fertilized and watered them yesterday.  I know I need to wait a couple months, I am just impatient.  I want to see growth NOW.  Haha.

Filifera spears are looking really good, green, and quite healthy, and are obviously growing.  I wish I had planted all Filifera 15-20 years ago, I would be sitting here completely fine today probably.

Edited March 6, 2021 by NBTX11

[amh]

2 minutes ago, NBTX11 said:

I fertilized and watered them yesterday.  I know I need to wait a couple months, I am just impatient.  I want to see growth NOW.  Haha.

Filifera spears are looking really good, green, and quite healthy, and are obviously growing.

You should have temperatures in the 80's next week, hopefully that will spur growth.

[jimmyt]

23 hours ago, Fusca said:

It looks like a robusta.  Doubtful that it survived if not protected.  @jimmyt might know its condition.

I will have to drive by there.  After all it is Hooters!  Downside is that is on the I-35 frontage road and they are still under construction.

[NBTX11]

So, I got tired of looking at dead fronds hanging from my smaller Robusta, so I rented a pole saw from Home Depot to get as many of them as I can.  Too tall to get all of them, but I got a decent amount.  Anyways, when I cut down the fronds of what I thought was totally dead/brown fronds, I got a surprise.  There was actually a small amount of green in each one.  I could not tell this from eye level, but the green was very noticeable once I cut it and looked at the fronds closeup.  I hope I did not injure the palm by taking off fronds that were still partially green.  Too late now.

Filifera spears looking top notch and growing rapidly.  Nice and green, and look basically totally healthy.  emerging spears don't seem to have any or very little damage on them.

[oliver]

Beccariophoenix alfredii and Medemia around both looking a little burnt but I think will make it

[oliver]

Sorry Medemia argun 

[necturus]

Visited Caldwell's in Rosenberg and Enchanted Forest in Booth yesterday. Both are southwest of Houston off 59. Typically these areas get colder than Houston proper, but it may not have made a difference in this freeze.

They closed down the back part of the nursery at Caldwell's which is a bamboo forest. Most of the clumping bamboo looked dead or dying. The first three pictures are from there. The mule has a little bit of green at the top. The Arenga has frozen several times over the years and came back. The Bismarckias look bad. Upon closer inspection, I realized one had been trunk chopped in the past. Didn't see any real surprises here.

The Bismarckia at Enchanted looked better. Their mule looked similar to the one at Caldwell's. They have some large bamboo, probably Bambusa oldhamii, that looks like a total loss. The two Erythrina crista-galli out front also look bad. Unfortunately, neither had completely recovered from the flooding during Harvey, so this may have done them in. Even their big pineapple guava tree looked toasted and had dropped most leaves.

People were buying plants like crazy. 

 

[jimmyt]

On 3/5/2021 at 1:34 PM, Collectorpalms said:

From 2 years ago. Looks thicker trunked than the above picture.

 

For insurance purposes, I would think it’s a goner soon.

here is the Hooter's  Washy as of today.  I threw in some others from nearby hotels south of Hooters some others

[boaterboat]

Sabals along the shore of Lake Travis, just west of Austin. These look great! Photos taken this afternoon. 

[jimmyt]

Don’t know what happened.  Try the pictures again   The infamous Hooters Washy first.  Then some south Waco hotel palmscapes.

[Xenon]

Well things are looking worse day by day

BUT if stock at a certain "garden center" is any indication, people are ready to replant palms and tropical shrubs. this certain "local garden center" on I-10 in Katy is fully stocked with queens, pygmies, and foxtails . they are LOADED with 5 gal king palms for 30 bux to indulge your zone pushing desires hahaha. I am definitely going back to grab one 

Edited March 8, 2021 by Xenon

[Ivanos1982]

On 3/6/2021 at 4:42 PM, NBTX11 said:

So, I got tired of looking at dead fronds hanging from my smaller Robusta, so I rented a pole saw from Home Depot to get as many of them as I can.  Too tall to get all of them, but I got a decent amount.  Anyways, when I cut down the fronds of what I thought was totally dead/brown fronds, I got a surprise.  There was actually a small amount of green in each one.  I could not tell this from eye level, but the green was very noticeable once I cut it and looked at the fronds closeup.  I hope I did not injure the palm by taking off fronds that were still partially green.  Too late now.

Filifera spears looking top notch and growing rapidly.  Nice and green, and look basically totally healthy.  emerging spears don't seem to have any or very little damage on them.

My small queen palms have spears moving here in West Houston. One of them did pull though... the smallest one so I guess that one is gone. All the petioles are green on the other ones and the fronds are upright. I did protect them but I keep reading how they are all toast in this area so I don't know what to think anymore. I'm just gonna let them be I guess. I am also getting impatient. Good to know your robustas are alive. All my stuff in my garden is toast, my clumping bamboo, my bougainvillea, philodendrons, grapefruit tree, bananas. It is a complete burned mess. Only the weeds look green haha. Oh well, spring is around the corner so I hope they hurry up and green up.

[necturus]

2 hours ago, Xenon said:

Well things are looking worse day by day

BUT if stock at a certain "garden center" is any indication, people are ready to replant palms and tropical shrubs. this certain "local garden center" on I-10 in Katy is fully stocked with queens, pygmies, and foxtails . they are LOADED with 5 gal king palms for 30 bux to indulge your zone pushing desires hahaha. I am definitely going back to grab one 

HGC? Nice.

People were buying orange trees left and right this weekend.

[Austinpalm]

On 3/5/2021 at 9:17 PM, ahosey01 said:

Anybody have anything to report about any Guihaia argyrata in Texas? Curious...

Not exactly what you are wanting to hear about, but I transplanted a G. grossefibrosa from Austin to SPI last June.  It seems to have transplanted successfully as it is still very green and appears to be growing slowly.  It is now in a much sunnier and sandier location.  I did not protect it when Palmagedon hit and it is showing little if any damage.  We were somewhere around 23 - 25F for about eight hours then above freezing and have been since. 

[Keys6505]

3 hours ago, Xenon said:

Well things are looking worse day by day

BUT if stock at a certain "garden center" is any indication, people are ready to replant palms and tropical shrubs. this certain "local garden center" on I-10 in Katy is fully stocked with queens, pygmies, and foxtails . they are LOADED with 5 gal king palms for 30 bux to indulge your zone pushing desires hahaha. I am definitely going back to grab one 

And indulge I will.  Going to stop there tomorrow and set myself up for failure.  Thanks for the heads up!

[NBTX11]

4 hours ago, boaterboat said:

Sabals along the shore of Lake Travis, just west of Austin. These look great! Photos taken this afternoon. 

Sabals are looking great here also.  Pretty much flawless like nothing happened.  Makes me wish they were planted more, as opposed to W. Robusta.

[PricklyPearSATC]

4 hours ago, jimmyt said:

Don’t know what happened.  Try the pictures again   The infamous Hooters Washy first.  Then some south Waco hotel palmscapes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The one on the left probably should be removed....

[Xenon]

Some carnage footage

 

[ahosey01]

7 hours ago, Xenon said:

Some carnage footage

 

Hey said they don’t sprout from the trunk. He’s never seen a Hyphaene!

In all seriousness, though... this is a cool video.

[Collectorpalms]

8 hours ago, Xenon said:

Some carnage footage

 

I agree, he quotes himself as not an expert. Those washingtonia were NOT obviously dead yet. There was green in the palm, and while the meristem May be damaged it was not terrible.
He is in the business of cutting down trees. Obviously he cut them so far down there was No point. You can see his home page, he is going to make a lot of money as quickly as possible to his benefit and to the palms demise... He wants them cut down before they have a chance.

I also checked, I believe Rodeo Palms seems to be on the SSW side of Houston. Only went to around 14F. All my tall thinner Washingtonia survived 14.5F in 2018, with a couple days below 32. Very similar to what that area had this freeze.

At least so far here, where it was much colder, and we have had hard freezes, the landscapers are only trimming them back....

Edited March 8, 2021 by Collectorpalms

[NBTX11]

Why is this guy cutting down palms with clear green on them 2 weeks after freeze!!!

[Ivanos1982]

2 hours ago, Collectorpalms said:

I agree, he quotes himself as not an expert. Those washingtonia were NOT obviously dead yet. There was green in the palm, and while the meristem May be damaged it was not terrible.
He is in the business of cutting down trees. Obviously he cut them so far down there was No point. You can see his home page, he is going to make a lot of money as quickly as possible to his benefit and to the palms demise... He wants them cut down before they have a chance.

I also checked, I believe Rodeo Palms seems to be on the SSW side of Houston. Only went to around 14F. All my tall thinner Washingtonia survived 14.5F in 2018, with a couple days below 32. Very similar to what that area had this freeze.

At least so far here, where it was much colder, and we have had hard freezes, the landscapers are only trimming them back....

You are correct. We had 14 degrees in Houston and washingtonias are coming back. This pic is from a friend of mine that he posted on facebook. This palm is at his apartment complex. The palm was not covered or treated. I see many palms around the area starting to push.

[Collectorpalms]

On 3/7/2021 at 6:08 PM, Xenon said:

Well things are looking worse day by day

BUT if stock at a certain "garden center" is any indication, people are ready to replant palms and tropical shrubs. this certain "local garden center" on I-10 in Katy is fully stocked with queens, pygmies, and foxtails . they are LOADED with 5 gal king palms for 30 bux to indulge your zone pushing desires hahaha. I am definitely going back to grab one 

College Station Lowes has Bottles, Foxtails, Pygyms, Robustas, Pindo and green Meds. and Walmart has queens. IS THERE ANYTHING HARDY available there at that chain?

Edited March 9, 2021 by Collectorpalms

[Collectorpalms]

On 3/7/2021 at 1:46 PM, necturus said:

Visited Caldwell's in Rosenberg and Enchanted Forest in Booth yesterday. Both are southwest of Houston off 59. Typically these areas get colder than Houston proper, but it may not have made a difference in this freeze.

They closed down the back part of the nursery at Caldwell's which is a bamboo forest. Most of the clumping bamboo looked dead or dying. The first three pictures are from there. The mule has a little bit of green at the top. The Arenga has frozen several times over the years and came back. The Bismarckias look bad. Upon closer inspection, I realized one had been trunk chopped in the past. Didn't see any real surprises here.

The Bismarckia at Enchanted looked better. Their mule looked similar to the one at Caldwell's. They have some large bamboo, probably Bambusa oldhamii, that looks like a total loss. The two Erythrina crista-galli out front also look bad. Unfortunately, neither had completely recovered from the flooding during Harvey, so this may have done them in. Even their big pineapple guava tree looked toasted and had dropped most leaves.

People were buying plants like crazy. 

 

Bismarckia looks like its growing? Almost as if they protected it possibly though... Do they or any nursery down there sell any cold hardy palms for zone 8? Minor, needles, sabals etc.

Edited March 9, 2021 by Collectorpalms

[PricklyPearSATC]

Sabal patch near downtown San Antonio got freeze burnt.  Some juveniles did not make it.  I believe city crews are tending to this patch. 
 

At the bottom: something weird.  In the urban heat island viburnum suspensum fried (second to last) in my suburban yard where it is cooler it did better (last picture)

Edited March 9, 2021 by PricklyPearSATC

[necturus]

@Collectorpalms It may be growing. Looks way better than the ones at Caldwell's. I'll get another picture in a few weeks.

Enchanted has minors, but they are expensive. Not sure about sabals or needles. I have never seen needle for sale in Houston.

[Chester B]

1 minute ago, necturus said:

Not sure about sabals or needles. I have never seen needle for sale in Houston.

Mail order those, I bet they grow pretty quick in your climate.  That or drive up to Mansfield and visit @TexasColdHardyPalms

[PricklyPearSATC]

2 minutes ago, necturus said:

@Collectorpalms It may be growing. Looks way better than the ones at Caldwell's. I'll get another picture in a few weeks.

Enchanted has minors, but they are expensive. Not sure about sabals or needles. I have never seen needle for sale in Houston.

I got my Needle at Lowes in 2008!  I also bought a saw palmetto from Lowes.  3 gallon pots with promotion:  Cold hardy palms. 

Edited March 9, 2021 by PricklyPearSATC

[Xenon]

51 minutes ago, Collectorpalms said:

College Station Lowes has Bottles, Foxtails, Pygyms, Robustas, Pindo and green Meds. and Walmart has queens. IS THERE ANYTHING HARDY available there at that chain?

Green meds aren't hardy enough?  There might have been some Trachycarpus in an overlooked corner...

[Collectorpalms]

23 minutes ago, PricklyPearSATC said:

I got my Needle at Lowes in 2008!  I also bought a saw palmetto from Lowes.  3 gallon pots with promotion:  Cold hardy palms. 

Yes, I believe some of mine came from those blue pots. I guess that is over, have not seen them in ages. I am weighing my options. I have several sabal minor and needles. I just want a bunch more most likely.  And I have had them over a decade and they are slow, I do not water them, so I am willing to spend a little for a nice 5-15 gallon size.

[Xenon]

WOW Galveston looks (comparatively) good! Night and day vs Houston. Partially green queens, robusta, and dates!! Looks even better than Corpus 

 

[Collectorpalms]

6 minutes ago, Xenon said:

Green meds aren't hardy enough?  There might have been some Trachycarpus in an overlooked corner...

Nope, My green meds are most likely dead. I had 4 large ones. They are some of the first palms I planted. The weight of the ice just weighed them down exposing them to the worst. I also had them all pruned as singles, except one that was right up against the house, and the smaller two trunks have already rotted. I think the high of only 20F was the reason my palms are worse than anywhere comparable. That is just very extreme.

Edited March 9, 2021 by Collectorpalms

[Collectorpalms]

13 minutes ago, Xenon said:

WOW Galveston looks (comparatively) good! Night and day vs Houston. Partially green queens, robusta, and dates!! Looks even better than Corpus 

 

Pessimist are better informed! Yeah, I like this video better. Galveston looks like it still went below 20F barely.

[Teegurr]

1 hour ago, Collectorpalms said:

College Station Lowes has Bottles, Foxtails, Pygyms, Robustas, Pindo and green Meds. and Walmart has queens. IS THERE ANYTHING HARDY available there at that chain?

Mmm Foxtails?! Yooo, I gotta get one for a patio plant. What's the pricing? Also how's the robusta priced at? I gotta know!!!

[Collectorpalms]

1 minute ago, Teegurr said:

Mmm Foxtails?! Yooo, I gotta get one for a patio plant. What's the pricing? Also how's the robusta priced at? I gotta know!!!

They are overpriced, but everything is expensive, and the options are limited to importing from Florida, so I guess just buy them.

[Xenon]

Some few day old pics from Brownsville. Photos by Richard Travis

The coconuts are still attached . Do miracles happen?? Will we see a green spear in July? Cocos nucifera "Rio Grande Valley' in the making? Stay tuned

 

Downtown Brownsville royal. Leaves are still dropping, looks like some royals might make it ! Richard says the best looking stuff is in central and eastern Brownsville. Coupled with some weather data from directly across the border and the lone station on Wunderground, it's likely central Brownsville briefly dipped into the 24-25F range for less than two hours. I also cross referenced some tweets/photos from SpaceX and believe that area also briefly hit 24-25F and quickly rebounded to +26F as the sun arrived close to 9 AM vs the cloudier and much longer duration in the low-mid 20s on South Padre Island. A Mexican weather station on the coast less than 10 miles south of the border briefly hit 24.8F. It appears 5-10 miles south made a significant difference in ultimate low temp and duration. Richard observed that things look better (but still very bad) inland (Hidalgo County) south of about US-83. 

 

Edited March 9, 2021 by Xenon

[Xenon]

9 minutes ago, Collectorpalms said:

They are overpriced, but everything is expensive, and the options are limited to importing from Florida, so I guess just buy them.

A lot of the tropical stock actually comes (came?) from the RGV. There are/were mass operations of nursery and field grown royals, queens, foxtails, etc. Richard says the queens are pretty brown so I can't imagine the crownshaft stuff is very happy if alive at all. 

[Xenon]

17 minutes ago, Teegurr said:

Mmm Foxtails?! Yooo, I gotta get one for a patio plant. What's the pricing? Also how's the robusta priced at? I gotta know!!!

Come to Houston, oversized 5 gal king palms for 30 bucks pretty good deal imo 

[Collectorpalms]

The district Lowes was only allowed to contract with 1 sellers for palms and that was Florida. I do not know how things might have changed in the last couple years. But the nursery managers have no control of anything that comes any longer. 

[PricklyPearSATC]

The 2008 recession really hurt the green industry.  Many independent nurseries went out of business.  I don't know how it effected wholesale growers.